1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to kites and methods for making kites. More particularly, it relates to miniature kites suitable for use both indoors and outdoors and to methods that facilitate the making of such miniature kites.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Kites and construction techniques for making them are of course well known but there are a number of problems with such construction methods when the size of the kite is reduced to approximately the size of an index card.
A very small kite has utility as a novelty item because, unlike a full-size kite, it can be flown indoors. Those who have office jobs cannot enjoy full size kites during working hours. However, a miniature kite can be tethered to a small portable fan, or other source of blowing air, and enjoyed even by office workers. A gaily-colored miniature kite with long flowing tails in flight is just as much fin to watch indoors as is a full-sized kite when flown outdoors. Accordingly, a miniature kite flying in an office has great stress-reducing qualities, and provides an aesthetically pleasing, mobile display that enlivens a sterile office or cubicle environment.
The construction of a small, very light-in-weight kite, however, is somewhat problematic. For example, it is hard to attach the kite string to the kite in the correct location, especially when there is a requirement that many of such kites be assembled quickly. A nimble-fingered worker can do the job quite well, but it is difficult to maintain the same consistent quality of work throughout the workday.
What is needed, then, is a means for facilitating miniature kite manufacturing. The needed means should produce miniature kites of consistently high quality, should make the assembler's job easy, and should lower the level of skill required to perform the assembly task. Moreover, the quantity of kites that could be manufactured per hour should be high so that the cost of each kite to the consumer could be low.
There is also a need for a miniature kite that is aerodynamically designed so that it may also be flown outdoors like a full-size kite.
However, at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the kite-making art how these needs could be fulfilled, how such miniature kite could be constructed and how the difficulties inherent in miniature kite making could be overcome.